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Eggnog, Wassail, Hot Wine -- Oh My!
By
Terry Kaufman
It is a cold winter
night outside while inside a group of family and good friends is
clustered around a crackling fire, thinking how wonderful the party
foods look, tucked here and there throughout the living room. The
genial host grandly sets down a huge bowl of Christmas cheer on the
table near the fire. What is this? Eggnog! The crowd good-naturedly
surges forward as one to the punch bowl, eagerly clamoring for a cup
of alcohol-enhanced ambrosia. Such a fantastic tasting experience!
If it is eggnog, then we are celebrating the holiday party-filled
days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Happy times for all
are coming.
Reaching back in
history to about 1775, eggnog enjoyed popularity on both sides of
the Atlantic Ocean, from England to America. The word “no” in eggnog
is thought to have come from an object known as a “noggin,” a small
mug made of carved wood. This wooden mug was used to serve drinks to
the tavern patrons seated at tables; tankards were used to serve
drinks at fireside. (Was this elementary fire protection, assuming
the tankards were constructed of metal or some other fire-resistant
material?) The eggnog drink itself is descended from a hot British
drink known as “posset” which contained eggs, milk, and ale or wine.
(Sugar was added some time down the timeline.) Eggnog is used as a
toast to ensure everyone’s good health in the year to come. It had
many silly-sounding (but memorable) names including egg-flip,
egg-hot, and of course eggnog.
Eggnog, in the 18th
century, was considered a beverage for the well-off. Milk was quite
expensive and therefore economically out-of-bounds for most people.
When eggnog made its way over to America, it became easily
accessible to all classes because of the large numbers of milk cows
there. To give the drink a little “oomph,” rum was often mixed into
the eggnog. Rum was relatively inexpensive compared to other
alcoholic drinks and easy to obtain, making it the perfect additive.
American Colonial
history dictates that there were at least a few special occasions
involving eggnog and high society. In Baltimore, Maryland, etiquette
demanded the practice of young men calling upon all their friends on
New Year’s Day. At each visitation made, the men were offered a cup
of eggnog. Not wanting to offend anyone by refusing the proffered
cup of cheer, the gents became, in a word, “sloshed” and could
barely get back to their own homes.
It was also
accepted as doctrine that President George Washington, the Father of
America, was an extreme fan of eggnog. He concocted his own version
of eggnog which included sherry, rum, and rye whiskey. Only the
bravest of his friends were willing to try it.
When thinking about
eggnog on a cold winter night, we should always remember the joys of
wassail and hot mulled wine, as well as their companion, hot hard
cider.
Rather than
originally being a drink, wassail first embraced caroling. Some
centuries ago, groups of carolers brought cups with them, and while
they performed at the doors of the rich, a servant would fill their
cups with hot spiced ale, frequently topping off the drink with a
floating roasted apple slice.
Hot mulled wine has
been popular for centuries. “Mulled” means heated and spiced, making
this drink perfect for those cold winter nights. In medieval times,
these drinks were named after Hippocrates, the father of medicine,
public opinion being that hot wine must be healthier than drinking
the polluted water which was available to the masses.
By 1500, cookbooks
included various methods of mulling wine. In addition to French
wine, honey, cinnamon, cardamon, and galingale (a pungent, aromatic
plant related to ginger) were added to the warming mixture. In
Victorian England, “Negus,” a version of mulled wine, was served to
children at their birthday parties. Mulled wine has been a party
drink for hundreds of years.
Some mulled wines
are similar to today’s sangrias, sometimes using white wine in place
of red. All sorts of things are added in, including oranges, cloves,
twelve spice, and more. Do not forget a couple of sticks of
cinnamon.
Last, but certainly
not the least, is cider. Its use was known of in England before the
time of Christ. The apples used to make the cider were rumored to
have come from sacred trees.
There was no such
thing as alcohol-free cider in years past. Everyone, including pious
clergymen and small children, drank cider as matter of course. The
cider was not sweet, as there was no refrigeration available. Modern
refrigeration has made sweet (nonalcoholic) cider extremely popular.
Alcoholic cider is now known as “hard” cider.
Be sure to buy
pasteurized cider for your holiday parties as E. coli can lurk
hidden in unpasteurized cider.
To your good
health! Cheers! L’chaim! Skoal! Bottoms up! Have a happy, healthy,
and prosperous New Year.
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